Sonography Health Dictionary

pl. n. cells created by fusion of activated lymphocytes with malignant cells. The resulting hybrid cells are cloned and produce antibodies or T-cell receptors, identical to those produced by the parent immune cells. See monoclonal antibody.

HYCOSY (hysterosalpingo-contrast sonography) an out-patient technique that tests for blocked Fallopian tubes. Using *transvaginal ultrasonography following the injection of an echo contrast medium through the cervix, flow along the tubes can be reliably visualized. See also Doppler ultrasound.... hybridomas

(sonography) n. the use of *ultrasound to produce images of structures in the human body. The ultrasound probe sends out a short pulse of high-frequency sound and detects the reflected waves (echoes) occurring at interfaces within the organs. The direction of the pulse can then be moved across the area of interest with each pulse to build up a complete image. Scans may produce a single stationary image similar to a photograph (static) or multiple sequential images similar to a video (*real-time imaging). The ultrasound waves are transmitted from – and echoes detected by – piezoelectric crystals contained within the scanning probe (see transducer). As far as is known, there are no significant adverse effects from the use of ultrasound at diagnostic energies. Ultrasound waves are blocked by gas, as in the lungs and bowel, which can obscure underlying structures. The detail seen increases with the frequency of the ultrasound but the depth of penetration decreases. Ultrasonography is extensively used in obstetrics, including the diagnosis of pregnancy, assessment of gestational age, diagnosis of *malpresentations, ectopic pregnancies, and *hydatidiform moles, and detection of structural fetal abnormalities (see also transvaginal ultrasonography). It is also used to examine the abdominal organs, urinary tract, blood vessels, muscles, and tendons. More specialized techniques include *echocardiography, *transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS), intraoperative ultrasound (IOUS), and endoscopic ultrasound examinations. See also Doppler ultrasound.... ultrasonography